Grenade



Patented Aug. 17, 1948 GBENADE Frank Short, East Berlin, Conn.

Original application March 1, 1943, Serial No. 477,583. Divided and thisapplication Decemher 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,446

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to grenades, particularly a hand-thrown grenadeequipped with a stabilizer device to insure impact of the grenade with atarget at or within the proper angle thereto.

A grenade that is hand-thrown lacks stability in that it will tumble endover end and very seldom will it strike its target in an end or headonposition. Hence, a hand-thrown grenade equipped with an impact-type offuze or one having a shaped explosive charge, to be efiective, muststrik an intended target within a, definite angle or cone of impact. Thegrenade, therefore, must be equipped with a stabilizer device to providestability during its flight toward the intended target so that thegrenade will strike the target head-on, or substantially so, to actuatethe impact-type fuze, and when shaped charges are employed, to focus theexplosi e l formed by the detonation of such charges, in the properdirection for the most efiective penetration of the target.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide ahand-thrown grenade with a stabilizing device to insure the grenadestriking a target at the proper angle of impact.

Another object is to provide a hand-thrown grenade with a detachablestabilizer device which can be removed from or retained with the grenadedepending upon conditions of combat, making such removal or retentiondesirable.

A further object is to provide a grenade with a stabilizer device thatcan be removably attached thereto in one position without substantiallyincreasing its overall size and in another position to provide stabilityduring flight.

An additional object is to provide a handthrown grenade with arevers'ble stabilizer device for adapting the grenade for eitherantipersonnel or anti-tank use, whichever the requirements may be,depending upon conditions encountered in combat.

The present invention is intended to be used with, but not necessarilylimited to, the type of grenade illustrated in U. S. application SerialNo. 477,583, filed March 1, 1943, for Grenade, now U. S. Patent Number2,413,004, granted December 24, 1946, of which the present applicationis a division.

The above and other objects, as well as a complete understanding of theinvention, will be come apparent from the following description of theattached drawings in which:

Figure l is a elevational view of the grenade modified to receive astabilizer device;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the grenade enveloped by thestabilizer device and with certain parts in section; and

Figure 3 is a view showing the stabilizer device, in central verticalsection, attached to the grenade, trailing end of which is in similarsection, for maintaining it in a substantially headon position while inflight.

The main body I of the grenade, which may be conical in shape, containsthe necessary firing pin assembly, primer, detonator and explosivecharge. The forward end of the body I is provided with a safety cover 2which holds a firing pin assembly in an unarmed position. The safetylever 3 is slotted through which projects an apertured lug 4 on theperiphery of grenade body for receiving a cotter pin 5 for locking thesafety cover 2, and is removed prior to the throwing of the grenade.These elements form no part of the present invention and are fullydisclosed in the said parent application, Serial No. 477,583, now U. S.Patent Number 2,413,004, granted December 24, 1946. The cover 2 and thelever 3 are detached from the grenade, as explained in the:1 parentapplication, during flight of the grena e.

The rear end of the grenade body I is reduced to form a hollowcylindrical projecting tube 6. Extending transversely through the tubeI5 is a pin I for retaining an expansible latch spring 8.

The latch spring 8 is substantially V-shaped, having a bight portion 9about the pin 1 and a pair of diverging arms I0 terminating in laterallyextending curved portions II projecting beyond the tube 6 and abuttingthe rear end thereof.

The stabilizer device consists of a hollow truncated cone I2 of wood,plastic or Other suitable material and formed similar to the grenadebody proper so that it may be telescoped thereover as shown in Figure 2.

The cone I2 has secured within it at its lower end, a annular ring I3formed of material similar to that of the cone I2 and is provided with acentral opening It for receiving the projecting tube 6.

When it is necessary to ship or carry the grenade, the stabilizing coneI2 is telescoped over the grenade body I, as shown in Figure 2, in whichcase the annular ring I3 is forced over and past the curved portions IIuntil the same are cleared by the ring I3 after which the portions I Ispring outwardly over the ring I3 to lock the same, thereby holding thecone I2 against separation from the grenade body I, as shown in Figure2.

same happened to be removed when the occasion grenade against tanks orOther armored struc- I tures, it is necessary that the grenade strikethe object head-on or substantially so to set oi the impact-type offuze, and, in the case of shaped charges, to direct the explosive forcein the desired direction. Therefore, the stabilizer cone -I2 is slippedoff the grenade body by forcing the cone I2, and thereby the annularmember 13, over the projections i l. The cone I2 is then inverted andreattached to the rearward end of the grenade body I by slipping thering I3 over the tubular projection 6 to be retained in place by theprojections II, as shown in Figure 3. The stabilizer cone l2 in thistrailing position provides the grenade with the necessary stabilityduring flight to insure the grenade striking an intended target head-onor substantially so.

In use, the grenade, with the stabilizer cone l2 attached as in eitherFigure 2 or 3, is grasped around the body, including the safety lever 3,the cotter pin removed and the grenade is thrown, all in the usualmanner.

I claim:

1. The combination of a grenade and a stabilizing device, said grenadehaving a body portion and a rearwardly extending centrally positionedtubu- -lar member, a V-shaped expansible latch member anchored in saidtubular member and having curved projections extending laterally andtransversely over the rear end of said tubular member sidewalls, ahollow truncated cone member having a configuration similar to that ofsaid grenade to provide for the former to telescope the latter, an

smaller end of said cone member and having an aperture with its axiscoincident with the central axis of said cone member, said tubularmember and said annular member aperture being so constructed andarranged to provide for said tubular member to be slidably receivedwithin said aperture whereby said hollow truncated cone can be mountedupon said tubular member either in a first position to telescope saidgrenade body or in a second position to trail said grenade body forstabilizing the same during flight of same; said V-shaped expansiblelatch member lateral projections cooperating with said annular member tohold the same on said tubular member in either of said positions of thehollow truncated cone.

2. The combination of a grenade and a stabilizing device, said grenadehaving a body portion and a rearwardly extending centrally positionedtubular member, a V-shaped expansible latch member anchored in saidtubular member and having curved projections extending laterally andtransversely over the rear end of said nular member aperture being soconstructed and arranged to provide for said tubular member to beslidably received Within said aperture whereby said hollow truncatedcone can bemounted upon said tubular member eitherin a first position totelescope said grenade body or in a second position to trailsaid grenadebody for stabilizing the same during flight of same.

. tioned tubular member, an expansible latch mem- :ber anchored in saidtubular member and having curved projections extending over the rear endof said tubular member sidewalls, a truncated cone member having aconfiguration similar to that Of said grenade to provide for the formerto telescope the latter, an annular member secured to said cone memberand having an aperture with its axis coincident with the central axis ofsaid cone member, said tubular member and said annular member aperturebeing so constructed and arranged to provide for said tubular member tobe slidably received within said aperture whereby said truncated conecan be mounted upon said tubular member either in a first position totelescope said grenade body or in a second positionto trail said grenadebody for stabilizing the same during flight of same; said expansiblelatch member lateral projections cooperating with said annular member tohold the same on said. tubular member in either of said positions of thehollow truncated cone.

4. A grenade body associated with a hollow body substantially the sameinternal shape as the external shape of the grenade body and havingengaging means in its upper end, the grenade body being provided with ahollow extension at its lower end for the reception of the upper end ofthe hollow body, a spring catch in the extension and having arms inengagement with said engaging means for holding bodies together, thehollow body being adapted to be inverted and telescoped upon the grenadebody, the spring catch serving to detachably connect the two bodies inboth their positions.

5. The combination of a grenade and a detachable stabilizing device,said grenade having a rearwardly extending centrally positioned tubularmember, a V-shaped expansible latch member anchored in said tubularmember and having projections extending laterally over the rear end ofsaid tubular member, a hollow truncated cone member having aconfiguration similar to that of said grenade to provide for the formerto telescope the latter, an annular member secured internally of and tothe smaller end of said cone member and having an aperture with its axiscoincident with the central axis of said cone member, said tubularmember and said annular member aperture being so constructed andarranged to provide for said tubular member to be slidably re- V-shapedexpansible latch member lateral projections cooperating with saidannular member to detachably hold the same on said tubular member.

FRANK SHORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

